Not-to-be-missed chapels and monasteries

DISCOVER THE CISTERCIAN ABBEY NOTRE-DAME DE LA PAIX IN CASTAGNIERS

Earth blessed by heaven, the Côte d’Azur inevitably gives birth to religious vocations.

The numerous convents and monasteries testify to this spiritual path. And some still shelter vibrant communities. Inland from Nice in Castagniers, the Abbaye Notre-Dame de la Paix is home to 14 nuns. To provide for their needs they have developed a know-how that couldn’t be more tempting: chocolate making! For over 60 years, the small chocolate factory has been at work, always ensuring the quality of pure cocoa butter chocolate – on average they produce two tonnes a year.

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BAROQUE SPLENDOURS IN THE ROYA: HEAD OFF TO THE MONASTERY IN SAORGE!

Another monastery on the Côte d’Azur continues the ritual of hospitality in Saorge.

You’ll need a pen and paper! Abandoned by the Franciscans at the beginning of the last century, owned by the State for the last fifty years, this Baroque ensemble in the heart of the Roya valley is in fact home to a writing residency. But don’t worry, you don’t have to be a Proust to visit it for a few hours and admire its beautiful frescoes and sundials. In Saorge don’t miss the Saint-Sauveur church, one of the stops on the Baroque route. From Tende to Brigue, from Breil-sur-Roya to Sospel, your eyes will feast on gold and colour.

INSPIRED ARTISTS ON THE CÔTE D’AZUR…

This overview of religious monuments would not be complete without mentioning the famous painted chapels on the Côte d’Azur.

Henri Matisse set an example by designing the decoration and stained glass windows in the Chapelle de la Rosaire in Vence. A few years later, Cocteau completely decorated the Saint-Pierre chapel on the harbour in Villefranche-sur-Mer. At almost at the same time, Picasso installed “War and Peace”, a monumental painting on wood, in the Chapelle de Vallauris. Finally, ten years ago, Folon took up the torch and painted the Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs with his poetic frescoes in soft colours.